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BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University continued its move upward among the nation's best values in private liberal arts colleges identified by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, named 34th on the 2009 list appearing in the magazine's February issue.

Kiplinger's credits these institutions with providing a top-quality education at an affordable price — usually with generous financial aid — despite endowments that are shrinking under today's troubled economy.

Illinois Wesleyan's Dean of Enrollment Management Robert Murray said the listing by Kiplinger's recognizes Illinois Wesleyan's commitment to making excellent liberal arts education accessible for families.

"This is a reflection of the University's efforts to keep our education affordable," said Robert Murray, "We understand, particularly with this economic environment, that affordability is very important."

Kiplinger's annually ranks 100 private institutions in two lists – 50 large universities and 50 small liberal arts colleges, like Illinois Wesleyan. Schools are ranked according to academic quality and affordability, with quality accounting for two-thirds of the total.

"Families hit by the economic downturn may feel that private institutions are out of their financial reach," said Kiplinger's Editor Janet Bodnar. "But they will be surprised by our findings. Most of the top-notch schools on the Kiplinger 100 offer generous financial aid packages."

And, for families who earn too much to qualify for need-based aid, many of the colleges offer a mix of loans, work-study, scholarships and grants funded by gifts to offset rising tuition costs, Kiplinger's reported.